


In Every Way

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Happiness Can't Be Arranged [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, OQ Happy Ending Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 08:09:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: There are some days when Robin can't deny that happiness is all around him.





	In Every Way

Charlotte Eleanor was born earlier that day, and already, she was every bit her mother’s daughter.

Smiling, he peered down at his infant daughter, sleeping against his chest and smiled. She was tiny and perfect, and though she’d only been a part of their lives for a matter of hours, she’d already secured a place in his heart, and he couldn’t imagine their lives without her.

Though still pink, he could tell that she had Regina’s complexion, the dark colored hair, and though her eyes were now hazel, there were little flecks of dark brown in them that told him they’d soon change, and it wouldn’t be long before she had her mother’s big, brown eyes. Their similarities extended beyond looks as Charlotte was already proving to be strong-willed and stubborn, a fighter and a survivor, and from the very start, she’d been so full of surprises.

Unlike Regina’s pregnancy with Oliver, which was planned from his conception to his birth, Charlotte was a surprise from the start.

She’d kept her presence a secret for longer than expected, so Regina was already into her fifth month when the pregnancy was confirmed by Doctor Hopper. Of course, Mrs. Beakley, being the daughter of a midwife, had her suspicions, but Doctor Hopper assured them Regina couldn’t be pregnant; afterall, she was still nursing Oliver. Robin wasn’t privy to the details, and whenever he was near, Doctor Hopper was annoyingly coy, but the gist of it had been that Regina’s body was merely adjusting to weaning Oliver and soon, everything would return to normal. The tell-tale signs of pregnancy were merely flukes.

Then one morning, Regina hadn’t felt well. She’d gone to lay down, and Mrs. Beakley took her some peppermint tea. The next thing he knew, he was being summoned to their bedroom. Regina was standing there in her night dress, looking in the mirror with her hand over the soft, budding curve of her stomach.

His eyes had widened as a smile drew onto his lips as he asked her if he was that obtuse, wondering how it was possible that he hadn’t noticed it before. Just two nights before he’d seen her in much less than a night dress. He’d touched her and held her, and it seemed inconceivable that he wouldn’t have noticed. But her body had changed since Oliver’s birth, and though he thought she was beautiful as ever, she often made sure the candlelight was dim enough to reduce them to shadows whenever they were intimate with one another, not allowing him to properly see her--and not allowing him to see what was now so obvious.

He asked if she was sure, and she nodded. Laughing out, he grabbed her and swung her around, kissing her as her feet met the floor. She’d pulled away from him suddenly, and her eyes widened. But before he could even worry, she grabbed ahold of his hand and pressed it to her abdomen--and that’s when he’d felt the baby moving around inside of her. It’d been a quick little flutter, but he’d certainly felt it, and no more proof than that was needed.

Though her pregnancy with Charlotte wasn’t particularly difficult, she hadn’t been well. The sickness that usually ended after those first few months stayed with her throughout. Her ankles swelled to the point of looking painful, her appetite was finickey, and no matter how often, he’d catch her wincing with discomfort when she assumed no one was watching. Dr. Hopper’s visits to the lodge were frequent, and though he assured them that all of this was normal, he couldn’t help but worry about her--and, so when Dr. Hopper recommended bed rest going into the last month of Regina’s pregnancy, he couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Regina, however, didn’t share that feeling. By the end of the first day, she was bored, and by the end of the second, she was annoyed. Mrs. Potter came in during the afternoons and sat with her, attempting to teach her needlework in hope that it might give her something to do and would occupy her mind, but it only further frustrated her. Mrs. Beakley visited with her during meals and tea, catching her up on the local gossip and telling her stories, and when they weren’t with her, he was--and his presence was generally met with mixed reception.

Charlotte clearly shared her mother’s feelings because after less than two weeks of bedrest, she decided she’d had enough. And despite being just under a month before her due date, in the early hours of that morning, Regina went into labor, waking him and sending him into a poorly concealed panic.

He’d sent Belle for Mrs. Beakley, and her father rounded up the boys, and it wasn’t long after that that Dr. Hopper arrived.

The labor was long and slow, and his heart raced wildly as he sat at her side, holding her hand and praying. He didn’t know if he believed in a higher power, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to try, and if anything, some divine being might not hold him in very much esteem, but it’d certainly be on the side of an infant child.

He’d felt utterly helpless as Doctor Hopper suddenly urged her to stop, and his heart nearly shattered when Regina asked if something was wrong, and her question was met with silence. It’d been Mrs. Beakley’s voice that answered--not really answering, but responding--as she told Robin told hold onto Regina. He’d nodded as his arm slipped around her shoulders--and then, she burrowed her face in his chest as Mrs. Beakley explained that she’d need to turn the baby, promising to be gentle as she could.

Regina’s screams had driven tears to his eyes and he’d held her as tightly as he could--and then, it was suddenly over and Charlotte’s cry filled the room. Regina looked up as Mrs. Beakley turned the red-faced and wailing infant toward her, announcing they now had a daughter. He’d sat there numbly as he watched Doctor Hopper cut the umbilical cord--and it wasn’t until Mrs. Beakley was laying a screaming Charlotte into her mother’s arms that he’d allowed himself to relax and to smile.

His heart still raced as he watched Regina holding the infant girl in her arms, smiling down at her and examining every inch of her. Mrs. Potter was there, too, and she’d handed Regina a white blanket trimmed in red ribbon and embroidered with little red apples--and Regina laughed at the sight of it, making an off-handed comment about Mrs. Potter finishing the blanket for her, before wrapping their daughter in it.

What happened immediately after was a hazy blur. Everyone else faded away as he lowered himself to the bed beside her, peeking over the edge of the blanket and watching as Regina cradled their daughter, watching as she soothed her--and when he reached out to adjust the blanket to get a better look at her, Charlotte had reached out and took hold of his finger--and just like that, he was head over heels in love.

“Mm, how long did I sleep?” Regina asks, her eyes fluttering as she turned her head on the pillow.

“Not long--an hour maybe.”

“That was quite an unexpected nap.”

“You more than earned it,” he tells her, grinning at her as he strokes his fingers over Charlotte’s back. “You should go back to sleep. I can manage her for a bit longer on my own, and your father has the boys and is prepared to have them for the night.”

“Oh,” she sighs. “I almost feel sorry for him. They’re all so anxious.”

“They’ll get to meet her soon,” he reminds her. “And it's not like he doesn’t have help.”

“That’s true,” she nods. “And I’ll admit, it’s nice to have her all to ourselves for a little bit.”

He nods. “How do you feel?”

“Like my lower half has been trampled by a fleet of horses,” she tells him, grimacing as she pulls herself up to sit. “But it’s nothing that won’t pass.”

“Is it worse than--”

She nods. “Henry and Oliver were easy,” she admits, reaching out and strumming two fingers over Charlotte’s cheek, “This little one was quite the opposite.” She grins as her eyes shift up to him. “Something tells me that’s going to remain true of her.”

At that, he laughs, nodding in agreement. “With three older brothers, she might have to.”

“They’re going to dote on her,” Regina says. “Henry and Roland, at least. They’re too old to think of her as competition.”

“Oliver is not going to take kindly to having to share cuddles.”

“As long as we don’t pawn him off on Roland, I think it’ll be alright.”

Robin starts to laugh, but Regina winces, then eases herself back. He watches as she draws in a breath and presses her eyes closed, slowly releasing it as she leans back against the pillows.

“Can I get you anything?

“Just… um… one of the cloths,” she murmurs, gesturing to a little bowl that Mrs. Beakley left for them, filled with tea-soaked strips of linen.

He nods and carefully transfers Charlotte into her arms, grinning as Regina cuddles their daughter against her chest--and no sooner than he’s up, she lets out a squeaky little cry. Regina’s quick to console her though, and by the time he reads through the instructions that Mrs. Beakley left for them, Charlotte is content once more with the corner of her blanket clenched in her tiny fist as she suckles its edge.

“Did I miss anything while I was sleeping?

“Not much,” he admits. “Minus a few diaper changes.”

Her brow arches. “A few? You said I was only asleep for--”

He laughs out. “Let’s just say we’re both lucky this isn’t my first child.”

“That bad?”

“You weren’t wrong when you said she’d be difficult.”

“But you managed.”

He nods as a grin pulls onto his lips as he reaches the table near the hearth. “You’ll notice that I’ve changed my clothes,” he tells her as he reaches for one of the cloths and squeezes it out the excess tea. “But in the midst of it, I discovered she has your smile.”

“My smile--”

“Yes.”

“You do realize that babies don’t smile when they’re hours old?”

“She did.”

“You think she did.”

“Maybe she’s gifted,” Robin says, looking back at her as he wrings out the linen to ensure its only damp. “Perhaps--”

“She had gas.”

He blinks. “I prefer to think she smiled.”

A soft giggle escapes her as she looks down at Charlotte. “We’ll just let him think that,” she tells her in a soft sing-song voice. “Besides, I don’t think you’ll have my smile.”

“No?”

Regina shakes her head. “Look at her dimples. Those dimples are yours.” Her eyes shift up to meet his as he moves back to the bed, lowering himself carefully. “So, it’s reasonable to think she’ll have your smile.”

He grins a little. “Perhaps.”

“Only time will tell, I suppose.”

“Oh,” he murmurs, a grin edging onto his lips as he hands her the tea-soaked cloth. “She blew a spit bubble earlier, and my heart absolutely melted.”

“Well, that I can believe, on both accounts.”

Robin laughs again, nodding. “It popped over her nose. Her eyes went wide and--” He sighs. “It was adorable.”

“Did it?” she asks, peering down at the little girl, gasping as her eyes widen. “Your brothers would be awfully proud of that, you know,” Regina coos, smiling as she pets her fingers over the baby’s hair as she tells Charlotte a little bit about each of her brothers--and Robin feels his chest tightening. Her voice is so soft, and Charlotte’s eyes are fixed on her as though paying close attention and memorizing every detail that her mother shares.

He nudges her softly, reminding her of the linen and she grins, nodding in understanding. “All three of them are just going to love you to pieces,” she tells her. “But between the two of us, that’s a lot of boy in the house and that’s why I’m so glad to have you.”

Finally, she looks back to him and takes the linen, shifting Charlotte in her arms, moving her so that she’s tight against her chest.

“Can I help?” he asks, watches as she takes the cloth and pushes it beneath the blanket. “I can--”

“I’ve got it,” she tells him, relief washing over her face as she withdraws her hand from beneath the blanket. “You’ve played nursemaid enough for one day.”

“I’d turn into a jester--outfit and all--if it could help.”

“That won’t be necessary,” she assures him, laughing softly as her eyes cast down to Charlotte. “Though, I’ll admit that would be quite a sight to see.” Chuckling, he nods, watching as she shifts the baby again, so that they can both see her. “Don’t you agree? Wouldn’t he look silly?”

Charlotte is unamused though and her eyes flutter--and for awhile, they just watch her, watching as she falls asleep and the grip on her blanket loosens.

“I can hardly believe we have a daughter,” she tells him after a while. “I was sort of convinced that we’d have another boy. But, you finally got your girl.”

“I was certain she was going to be a boy, too--and truly, I’d have been happy for that.” He grins as he gets back into bed with her, carefully edging himself closer to them. “But I say it with no guilt that I’m happy that my guess was wrong.”

“Me, too,” she admits. “And it’ll be nice for Oliver to have a playmate.”

“Roland will be thrilled by that development.”

“Or disappointed that she can’t play sooner,” she tells him, grinning as she looks over at him. “He has at least another year of Oliver, the Perpetual Shadow.”

Taking a breath, she shifts Charlotte down onto her lap and smiles warmly at her. “And it’s a good thing this one was a girl because… I think we’re done now.” She blinks up at him. “After today, I’m not sure that I could do that again.”

“Four is a nice number,” he tells her easily. “Two pairs.” She shakes her head and looks away, chuckling softly as a grin edges onto his lips. “Besides that, it’s getting expensive.” At that, Regina’s brow furrows as she looks back to him, confused. “Well, as it stands, each of our sons will inherit an estate. Henry will get Dragon Head, Roland will get Sherwood and Oliver will have the lodge, and now---”

“Ah,” she murmurs. “No more estates tucked away somewhere?”

He shakes his head. “But she should have the same inheritance as her brothers--”

“You won’t just set aside some money for a dowry?”

He blinks, feeling nearly offended. “No.”

“Isn’t that how it’s done?” she asks coyly. “Boys inherit and girls are married off?”

“Perhaps to my father--”

“Well--”

His eyes widen. “Are you implying that I’m like my father?”

“I’m just saying that typically--” She stops and a soft laugh bubbles up from her--and he can’t help but feel glad for it, given the scare she and Charlotte had given him that morning. “I’m sorry, implying that you’d ever think along the same lines as your father--even teasingly and even if it’s what almost everyone else on the planet thinks--was rude.”

“I’ll forgive it,” he smirks. “And reserve the right to call you Cora on a date that’s yet to be determined.”

Her brow crumples. “Hey…”

Leaning in, he presses a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll think of something, but don’t be surprised if I buy a little seaside estate.”

“That’s… out of nowhere.”

“Not really,” he admits. “There’s a property I’ve been eyeing and--”

“Robin--”

“Since I found out you were pregnant, I’ve been thinking about this.”

“About buying our child an estate.”

He blinks at her, not quite understanding what’s so surprising to her--he’s always been so diplomatic about about their children’s inheritances, wanting everything to be even between them and never wanting them to feel trapped the way he had underneath the details of his father’s will, or worse, to feel the way Regina had felt, trapped by the burden of the expectation placed upon her shoulders.

“You know, my father still owns property in Spain and my grandparents have a house in Cuba that--”

“Our daughter is not moving to Spain and the only way she’s ever going to Cuba is if she floats there on my dead body.”

Regina giggles and nods. “Well, then, it looks like you’re buying a seaside estate.”

“That’d actually be fun though,” he says, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Having a little get-away to go off to on summer days, sitting on the rocks and watching the kids swim and play, taking walks as the sunsets, sneaking away for our own playtime by the sea.” He grins, “You could make little trinkets out of sea glass.”

Her eyes roll and he laughs. “You’re well aware that crafts aren’t my forte,” she tell him as a little grin tugs up on her lips. “But aside from the sea glass, that does sound nice.”

“Doesn’t it?”

She nods as she looks back to Charlotte, sleeping with her arms outstretched from her blanket and one foot peeking out from it “What do you think?” she asks the sleeping infant, pushing her finger tip gently against the little girl’s tiny palm. “Would you like a place to go and swim with your brothers?”

He smiles, thinking of Charlotte, a little older and wearing a straw bonnet, standing on the beach, watching her brothers splash and play, giggling as the the tide tickles her toes and he thinks of himself scooping her up and carrying her into the water on his shoulders. It’s easy to get lost in the daydream, and it's not until Regina’s hand presses to his arm, that he comes back into the present moment and offers her a sheepish grin.

“What?” She murmurs, “All of the sudden you looked a thousand miles away.”

He laughs a little, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her hair before gently resting his atop hers and looking down at Charlotte and her little clenched fists. “I’m just happy,” he tells her. “Happier than I’ve any right to be.”

A grin pulls onto her lips. “That sounds like something I’d say,” she tells him, laughing softly as she looks to Charlotte. “But I’m happy, too.”

He kisses her again, watching as her finger traces over Charlotte's little hands--and suddenly, his heart felt so full, brimming with love for them.

Before Regina, he’d never dared to hope for much, and life had taught him to be content with what he had, as it was more than what most were given. But as he looked at Regina holding Charlotte and he thought of their sons, he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotion because a decision he’d made on a whim--a decision to right a wrong that wasn’t his--had been one of the best decisions he’d ever made. And though it wasn’t the first time he’d realized this, today--the day of their daughter’s birth--was a happy reminder of it, a reminder that happiness was all around him.


End file.
